I certainly hope it turns out that he didn't,or that there's nothing in it-I'd so hate for the sport to be engulfed in any kind of drugs scandal.The whole Lance Armstrong mess,and what it's done to cycling,is so sad to see-I couldn't stand the thought of anything like that happening to tennis!

I know that even if details did come out about tennis players doping,it probably wouldn't be on nearly as huge a scale as that whole scandal-but even so,I hate the thought of anything like that!(However,that said,I also hate cheating of any kind,and wouldn't want drugs cheats to go unexposed.)

I am just getting the feeling at the moment that after Armstrong the momentum is increasing and there are going to be revelations about lots of other sports probably including tennis. I have been surprised that no one on here has quoted the article about Djokovic's pod Bev referenced a few posts back. Essentially it states that the pod technology maybe "twice as effective at helping the body absorb oxygen as blood doping - a banned form of performance enhancement"

"In 2006 the World Anti-Doping Agency ruled that such oxygen tents enhance performance and violate "the spirit if sport" but did not add them to the list if banned substances and methods".

Allowing for the fact I am being fairly selective in my extraction of quotes, surely if something is causing the same effect as a banned method of performance enhancing, the fact the governing bodies haven't got around to banning it, using it does indeed "violate the spirit of sport". I am reading it that Djokovic is actually blood doping - he has just found a legal loophole. I see in the same light as British Members of Parliament's excuses when the big parliamentary expenses scandal came to light. Ie the fact that what they were doing was technically within the rules didn't alter the fact that anyone with a modicum of basic morality could see that it wasn't right to do it.

I remain of the opinion that when/if things come out about tennis Nadal, Djokovic and probably Ferrer will be in the thick of it. Ferrer I think has had dealings with the "doping doctor".

Contentious issues I know - the opposite argument is undoubtedly going to be that if Djokovic's pod isn't actually against the rules why shouldn't he use it? I am interested in what other people think about the pod.

^^ I'm not sure what to think about it.From what we can surmise it doesn't sound ethical, but as we all know about it, it can't be illegal. I think there are only a few 'pods' in existence and they are really expensive, so they would be out of reach of many players.

Has Andy or his team ever mentioned it? I can't think of a time. I don't think I've come across any of the top players/coaches giving an opinion on its use. Which I find surprising, considering they are all trying to find some improvement/an edge over each other.

At the moment it's all rumour mongering and a lot of grasping at straws, the whole Lance Armstrong thing has just started the conspiracy theory ball rolling and threads popping up all over the place with everybody questioning everybody elses sporting achievments over the last decade if not longer. It's batshit crazy.

Are we all hoping Novak or if you like "Dopervic" or "Eggovic" is really using PED's? just so we can have Andy win all the majors for the next 5 years? i personally do not want tennis tainted in such a way that the fallout from it will make this golden age of tennis turn into a living nightmare.

I sencerely hope Nole is not using, or even Nadal i mean where would it stop? Andy himself could have a finger pointed at him for bulking up with before and after pictures showing clear signs of extreme physical alterations over the last 5 years even though they are absolutely legitimate, it would not stop people from accusing him if in fact it did come out that there was some doping going on in tennis.

Silent bans? That incident with Nole eating something under a towel? youtube is rife with this stuff and it is unhealthy and pure fantasy from the same sort of people who think 9/11 was a government conspiracy or in fact did not really happen at all, it was done using CGI.

Would the ITF allow it to become mainstream news if Federer was actually found to be using since 2003? i seriously doubt they would somehow, it would tarnish the game beyond repair, the most they woudld do is force a retirement on him. I can see why nole is under suspicion because of what he is now compared to what he was.

From someone who retired from matches due to exhaustion and Roddick making fun of him, to now being the ultimate iron man who could play for 12 hours straight without breaking sweat but if this carries on i can see some lawsuits down the road, i mean some guy writing for the evening standard wrote an article practically accusing him the other day that he has to be doping as there is no other explanation for it.

At the moment it's all rumour mongering and a lot of grasping at straws, the whole Lance Armstrong thing has just started the conspiracy theory ball rolling and threads popping up all over the place with everybody questioning everybody elses sporting achievments over the last decade if not longer. It's batshit crazy.

Gnome, what's your take on Agassi's use of Crystal meth during the 90s?

Well Crystal meth is hardly a performance enhancing drug, quite the opposite in fact, if i recall his career declined once he started using it and when he finally cleared himself up and got back his fitness he again ruled the tennis world - more telling though is that the ATP kept the whole incident quiet, even if it was just because they believed his story back then that it was just a case of his drinks being spiked and the ATP were actually quite pissed off when he came clean in his book.

Well Crystal meth is hardly a performance enhancing drug, quite the opposite in fact, if i recall his career declined once he started using it and when he finally cleared himself up and got back his fitness he again ruled the tennis world - more telling though is that the ATP kept the whole incident quiet, even if it was just because they believed his story back then that it was just a case of his drinks being spiked and the ATP were actually quite pissed off when he came clean in his book.

When you say "if I recall" - are you recalling based on memory or recalling from the book?

When you say "if I recall" - are you recalling based on memory or recalling from the book?

His meth use was cited as being around 1996-97, his career declined rapidly and his subsequent rise back through the rankings over the following two years, on the back of a gruelling fitness programme and the ignominy of playing on the lesser Challenger circuit, has gone down in tennis history.

In 1999 he became only the fifth man to win all four Grand Slam titles with victory at the French Open. Three months later he added a second US Open crown and he ended the year back at number one in the world.

His meth use was cited as being around 1996-97, his career declined rapidly and his subsequent rise back through the rankings over the following two years, on the back of a gruelling fitness programme and the ignominy of playing on the lesser Challenger circuit, has gone down in tennis history.

In 1999 he became only the fifth man to win all four Grand Slam titles with victory at the French Open. Three months later he added a second US Open crown and he ended the year back at number one in the world.